What Matters
by The Weaver of Words
Summary: When Bianca came into his life as a little four year old, Braig had no clue what to do. Yet he didn't know that she was what mattered to him most. Each Chapter has a memory from Xigbar. Basically a collection of shorts taken from different points in time.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:** Ariexan: Keyblader for Organization Thirteen after Roxas. (New Number Thirteen) She reminds Xigbar of Bianca, so he calls her the same pet name as he did Bianca.**

Xigbar was sent on a solo mission to take out a constantly rising threat to the Organization. He came out in a revived Radiant Gardens. Memories of his own daughter rushed into his mind. He looked around; his breath puffing out in clouds, with temperatures at near freezing; snow was drifting down gracefully. No one was out on the eerily quiet night. That was why he noticed the creeping black clad figure that was edging along the light grey brick wall. He quickly checked the picture that Saix had given him, a spitting image of what was inching along a few feet in front of him.

Teleporting in front of them; an arrowgun raised to meet the person's face. He couldn't see past the hood. There was a gasp from the shorter, thinner person in front of him.

"I was ordered to kill you, are we going to make this hard or are you just gunna give in now?" He asked them, trying real hard to tell whom it was, maybe someone he used to know.

"Depends, which one is more fun? Me putting up a fight, or you putting a bullet in my head?" The voice jumped out from behind the shadows, it was almost familiar. Before he knew it the person was gone. A blow into his side from behind sent him flying into the wall. Hands grabbed his shoulders and flung him across the alley, a second assailant greeted him, a blow to his stomach and a nasty hit to the throat, making him fall to the ground and gasp for breath.

"You've gotten rusty, old man." The voice said darkly. A pair of black boots came up in his vision. Unable to respond, he just looked up, still unable to see from his lower angle who it was behind those shadows. He knew they were looking down on him in cold hatred; it made the hair on the back of his neck prick.

"How-how, w-would you know?" He said looking down on the ground. There was a dark laugh.

"I saw Braig in his prime, when he was unmatched. Now I alone can get you wheezing on the ground without even trying. Me, of all people." More dark laughter followed.

"I really thought his Nobody would be as strong as him. Huh, guess not. Shame." They said, looking up at the sky, the hood falling away from their face slightly, showing the tip of a gently pointed tan nose.

Xigbar took the chance to tackle them, having caught his breath again. The girl gave an outraged scream and shifted her weight, sending him into the wall again. Who the hell was she?

"Who, are you!" He yelled, pulling his arrow guns. She straightened up, laughing like a maniac.

"As if I'd tell you." The person hissed at him, Xigbar gasped, that tone….

_Don't you use that tone with me, Bianca._

_But Dad!_

_NO! _The flash of the memory was enough for the girl, Bianca, maybe, to knock the gun out of his hand, grab his wrist, and slam him against the wall. Xigbar fought back a groan.

"Bianca, is that you?" He asked, sounding oh so weak, hoping to catch her off guard. There was a dark laugh from her, no cigar...

"The Bianca you knew... is long gone. Your little _Princess_ is gone, Braig." She hissed. A knife sunk into the wall, cutting his ear, Xigbar hissed in pain.

"Have fun being Xehanort's tool." The voice said, he was unleashed; he whipped around, arrowguns ready. She was gone, was Bianca dead, had he lead his own daughter to her death? Was she one of the Snipers he controlled? Was she the person whom he just confronted? No, she would've recognized him, she would've yelled after him and hugged him around his torso like she used to. Bianca wouldn't have attacked him; he looked back to the wall. The knife was still there, a piece of paper wavered down from the handle; tied to it by a string. Xigbar narrowed his good eye at it. He walked over to it, pulling the knife out of the wall.

He picked the piece of paper up out of the air, studying the knife first. His eye widened again.

* * *

><p><em>I know we're Freeshooters, and that we have gun power, but always have a knife, just in case. All right, Princess? <em>**The thirteen year old looked at Braig.**

_You know, most parents ban their kids from having guns and knives. _**She told him, getting out of her seat and taking the pocketknife. Braig laughed and tassled her hair.**

_Just trust me, Princess, I'm old, I know what I'm doing. _**Braig told her, she smiled, giggling her cute girlish giggle. Making her father smile.**

* * *

><p>This was Bianca's knife, the one he gave to her when she was thirteen. That had to be Bianca. He read the paper.<p>

_Remember her, Braig? _It wasn't Bianca's handwriting. And that wasn't Bianca that attacked him. He was both relieved and broken. Was his daughter dead? He looked back at the dark corridor.

But that person knew Xehanort's name, and the fact that Xemnas was originally Xehanort. Maybe Bianca had told her; maybe that girl was one of Bianca's rare female friends

For once in ten years, the sadness that Xigbar felt was so overwhelming that a lone tear slid down his scarred cheek.

"I am so sorry, Bianca. I should've listened to you when you warned me about him. I should've listened, maybe, none of this would've ever happened." He muttered, looking up at the sky. Remembering how when Bianca was little, she would tug him outside and make him watch the stars with her.

Xigbar smiled a little, the memory easing the pain a little.

"Xigbar, are you alright? Saix decided to send you some backup in case the threat had gotten any stronger since Xaldin fought them." He heard the female voice of the semi new Keyblader, Ariexan coming up to him. He turned.

"Fine." He said curtly, Ariexan must've taken it as angry. She shrunk back away from him a few feet.

"Your ear, did you face them, did you kill them?" She asked urgently. Grabbing his lower arm, Bianca used to do the same thing when she freaked out. The fire in Ariexan's silver eyes was nothing compared to that in those dark sapphire blue eyes though.

"They got away. You should've gotten here quicker, I'm getting slow." Xigbar said, realizing that the mysterious enemy was right.

"Well then lets get after them. They can't hurt someone I care about and get away with it!" Ariexan hissed. Xigbar laughed.

"Another day, Princess, let's get home." He told her. Ariexan's jaw went slack. She squared it again.

"NO WAY! You can't just give up that way, you're Xigbar!" Ariexan yelled. Xigbar smiled, looking back down to the knife in his hand.

"You got a pen or pencil in your pack, Rix?" He asked her. Ariexan shrugged, slinging the pack down over her arm and kneeling, rummaging in her bag. She looked up and offered him a pen. He took it.

"Thanks Rix." He told her.

"What's that for anyways?" She asked him as he bore down on the wall, writing a reply.

_I could never forget my Princess. _He stabbed it back into the wall, hoping his attacker would find it.

"A message for the lost, I guess. You ever tell someone I said something like that I'll shoot you." Xigbar told her, Ariexan raised her hands up in surrender.

"I won't I swear." Ariexan told him. Xigbar nodded.

"Now, lets get home before you get sick and Luxord kills me." Xigbar said, looking up to the sky once more.

"Axel told me that he and Saix are from here." Ariexan told him as they walked away from the alley.

"Most of the founding members are from here. Me included." He replied. Ariexan looked up to him.

"Really, cool, you ever run into Axel and Saix before you lost your hearts?" Ariexan asked him, suddenly energized by this newfound information.

"Only too often." He said. Ariexan looked at him and tilted her head. He couldn't help but feel watched. He probably wanted Bianca to be around, so he was probably imagining she was watching from the shadows.

"I'll explain later, maybe Axel'll tell you if you ask, maybe even Saix. Now for the fourth time, lets get home."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Takes place roughly ten years before the events of BBS**

Braig woke to the unpleasant sound of his bedside phone going off, he groaned.

"On my day off too, I swear, if its Even, I'll shoot the damn phone." He muttered, pulling his head up to check the caller ID. A phone number that hadn't called him in a long time, an ex girlfriend from about four years back.

"Hello?" He groaned into the phone. There was a brief silence.

"Is this Braig?" An older man's voice asked.

"Yes, something I can help you with?" He asked. The silence returned. Braig was about to hang up when the man continued.

"Lexia has died, she's left you as her daughter's guardian." The man said, Braig was shocked into silence.

"Wait, who's the father, shouldn't he be getting custody?" Braig said, standing up, picking the entire phone up and walking away from his bed.

"She was certain that Bianca is yours, the child has a bit of a gift, she can levitate, at random. It worried us all, until Lexia told us that you were was it? A Freeshooter?" The man replied. Braig nearly dropped the phone. Bianca, when he had wanted a family, that's what he would've wanted to name his first daughter.

"I'll be over, you woke me up, just let me get ready. You still live in the same place, right?" Braig asked.

"Yes, we do. Do you want us to get Bianca ready?" The man asked.

"Yeah, go ahead." He told them, the line went dead. He never really hated Lexia, they just grew apart. Why hadn't she told him? He would've more than gladly been at least a part of the girl's life. Getting dressed, he went on over to Lexia's parents' home. Pulling up in the driveway, he saw the little girl; she clung onto a little white raggedy toy bunny. Her big blue eyes were watery and red. She sported his family's black hair; it was tied back in a tight looking braid. She was clutching her grandfather's hand. She watched him with those big, sad blue eyes.

He felt sympathetic for the little girl. Why hadn't Lexia just left Bianca to her grandparents, not him? The kid didn't even know him. Braig looked to the steering wheel before he got out of the car.

Bianca watched him rise from the car with a little bit of reluctance. He felt bad that she saw that. He slowly approached the two, her eyes going up higher and higher, keeping her gaze on his face.

"You were part of her life, Braig, Lexia told Bianca about you, showed her a picture. She trusts you." Lexia's father told him. Braig had been returning Bianca's gaze, so he elevated his gaze to the older man.

"She does?" Braig asked, Bianca's grandfather looked down at the girl, tugging her hand a little bit, telling her she could speak. The girl didn't speak automatically. She nodded.

"You're my daddy." She said, her small voice quiet, she was talking with her head down. Something was up. He could sense it; he looked back up to the grandfather, raising an eyebrow. The grandfather ignored his questioning gaze, making things even fishier.

"I'll go get her bag." He said, dropping Bianca's hand carelessly. Then Braig saw it, they didn't approve of Bianca's existence. And she was forced to live with them until they could contact Braig. He shook his head in disapproval and anger. The little girl watched him, those sad eyes becoming more interested by the second. Braig saw this. He watched her back. The girl unexpected opened her arms to be held, careful not to drop her bunny companion. Braig smiled at her. Stepping forward, he picked her up. The girl smiled adorably.

The grandfather came back with Bianca's things, a small pink carry on. Braig nodded and took it when the man offered it to him. He turned and went to the car.

"I have a room for you, but it hasn't been decorated or anything. You coming to live with me is a bit of short notice. We'll decorate when I get to know you better. Ok?" He said, feeling bad that he hadn't truly been there for the little girl, nothing more than a photo and a few stories, he felt terrible. He'd have to make it up to the little girl. He'd do his best to be a good father.

He remembered the car seat. She was five, maybe a little less; she would need a car seat. Braig turned, sitting the girl in the car.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." She nodded and fiddled with the bunny's ears. Absentmindedly gazing at the rabbits thread eyes.

Braig approached the old man again.

"Hey, I need her car seat." He said the old man looked at him with a sort of hate in his eyes.

"We don't have one." He said. Braig glared at the old man, putting a little kid in danger. He was suddenly glad he was taking the girl of these two's hands. Poor kid. If they had laid a harmful hand on little Bianca, he'd be sure they'd pay for it.

"Is she in school?" He asked, the man nodded.

"The school down the road. From here, you passed it coming here." He said, pointing down the way. Braig nodded.

"Alright then, I'll guess we'll be off, you have my address if you ever want to come see her." The man nodded. Braig turned without another word and went back to Bianca; she had already strapped herself in and was ready to get away from this place.

Braig got in the car and drove off. He looked in the rear view mirror every so often, seeing Bianca rummage through her little pink bag, stopping when she'd found something interesting.

"Do you have any friends, Bianca?" Braig asked, expecting a list of girls, surprised when he got his answer.

"Just two, their names are Isa and Lea." She replied, her voice now chiming like a bell, different from the jumble of spoken words when she had told him she knew him.

"What did your mother tell you about me?" Braig asked, wondering what stories the girl was fed.

"That you were a good person and that you would take care of me if anything happened." She told him. Braig looked back at the road. Was Lexia expecting death, was that why she told Bianca, or was she just comforting the little girl? Why wasn't he even notified? He and Lexia never hated each other. They could've been friends if she hadn't just disappeared off the face of the earth.

Turning onto the road he lived on, Braig's house raising up on the curve of the road, he gave the girl in the back one final glance before pulling off the road and into the driveway.

Bianca got out of the car after him, still clutching that rabbit. She looked up at the house.

"Here it is." He told her, looking down at the girl, she shifted her gaze to him. She didn't say anything, but nodded. Braig led her into the house. She was silent, again.

"You can talk Bianca." He told her, looking over his shoulder at her. She shrugged. He guessed she didn't have much to say.

He walked up the steps and to the guest bedroom, pulling the door opened he waited for her to catch up. When she did she stuck her head into the room, looking around. She simply strode in and looked at the queen-sized bed. Braig cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck; he joined her in her new room.

"I guess that the bed is a little bigger than what you're used to?" Braig asked her. She looked up at him. Shrugging, she pulled herself up on the bed. Not a word since they entered the house.

"I'll go get your bag." He said. Bianca nodded and situated the bunny on the bed, sitting it up against a pillow. Braig left the room going back to the car; he got the bag and returned to his daughter's room. She was curled up in a ball; her rabbit held tight against her chest, her eyes closed.

He almost didn't want to enter, she looked asleep, but was she? Braig decided to go in just to put the bag down and left. She never opened her eyes once. He closed the door behind him. A daughter living with him, all in less than an hour.


	3. Chapter 3

He jumped at the loud penetrating scream of pain that came down from the top of the hill.

"OUCH, BIANCA!" A girl's voice yelled.

"Well if you had moved fast enough you wouldn't have gotten hit!" A voice replied, clearly aged, extremely irritated.

"Well you should've warned me!" The other girl replied bitterly.

"If a Freeshooter raises their Sharpshooters, guess what? We're gunna shoot, so commit that to memory!" The other replied, Freeshooter, female. Bianca. His daughter. He crept up the hill and saw her fiddling with bandages gauze beside her knee she was kneeling, fixing a younger girl's wound.

"I only nicked you're arm you brat. Stop over acting." Bianca hissed. The girl's green eyes cast over Bianca's shoulders, seeing Xigbar. He faltered momentarily, turning he started to run.

"BIANCA, ORGANIZATION MEMBER!" The girl squealed. Xigbar heard an angry growl. Then the sound of a teleport, he looked around for her. He came down the hill and was met by a volley of bullets, each one barely missing. He forgot, he had his hood up. Before he could take it down, or even conjure his Sharpshooters, a bullet hit him in the shoulder, lodging in deep.

He gave out a cry and fell to his knee. The sound of a teleport and she was in front of him. A kick to the chest sent him sprawling to the ground on his back. His hood was ripped away. He heard a gasp.

"Dad?" She whimpered.

"Bianca, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ANY OTHER DAY YOU WOULD TAKE THIS CHANCE AND LAND A BULLET IN HIS FOREHEAD!" The girl from the top of the hill yelled angrily. Bianca looked up, those fiery blue eyes shining maliciously. She sent a bullet flying at the girl. She gave a squeal and ducked, just barely getting missed. Xigbar didn't think Bianca would've cared if she got hit.

His daughter grabbed his good arm and pulled him up, slinging his arm over her shoulder.

"You sided with Xehanort, again." She hissed, clearly unhappy. Xigbar was suddenly ashamed.

"I didn't think you were alive, if I got killed I didn't expect you to live." He replied.

"What so you weren't going to come check?" She hissed and started to walk away from the hill.

"What and find my daughter's broken, mangled body? No thank you." He replied hastily.

"If you had come you would've seen I lived." She replied. Xigbar knew she had a point.

"So, now that you know I'm alive, are you going to go or stay?" She asked. Xigbar was silent.

"I knew it." She hissed. They came up to a house, their old home.

"Haven't been here in a while." He muttered. Bianca scoffed and lead him up the steps.

**18 Years Ago**

Braig walked up the steps. Hearing the door rip open, he was tackled in a hug, thin arms wrapping around his waist. His insane seven-year-old daughter had to stay home with a replacement babysitter over night because Braig had to work over night and her usual baby sitter was out of town.

"I missed you!" She said. Braig laughed tiredly, having not getting a wink of sleep the past night.

"Missed you too Princess. Mind letting me inside?" He asked. Bianca released him and grabbed his hand, taking escorting him inside.

The baby sitter was passed out on the couch.

"You didn't kill her did you?" He asked. Bianca giggled her little innocent giggle.

"No." She replied and went to go sit down in front of the television. Braig shook his head, not able to fight the smile pulling at his lips. He went over to the couch and nudged the baby sitter awake.

"How much do I owe you?" He asked her. Hopefully she was too groggy to check the time and think that it was still the same day she had came to babysit.

"$17.50" She told him. Yep, too groggy. Braig felt bad about gipping her and gave her thirty, told her to keep the change and sent her on her way. Maybe he'd get away with it, he most likely wouldn't; she'd probably come back in fifteen minutes demanding the rest of her money.

Braig turned from the door, seeing Bianca's guilt stare. He looked away.

"Ok, I'm going to go catch some sleep. When I wake up I'll make last night up to you, I promise. Just, don't get into anything dangerous, alright?" He told her. Bianca didn't relax her guilt stare but nodded.

"Good." Braig said and made his way to the other end of the house, collapsed on the bed and was asleep in moments.

**Present Day**

He sat on that bed now, Bianca was bustling around the room, and she had already instructed him to take his shirt off so she could bandage the wound.

"So who's that kid you were with?" Xigbar asked. Bianca stopped for a second to give him a sideways glance. This wasn't who he used to know. This wasn't the Bianca he raised. Of course it wasn't, she had to watch everyone around her die, while she survived and carried on.

"Some lost puppy Arataze was convinced would be vital to our operations. I think she's just a drag and dead weight to us." She said. Approaching him with a first aide kit. She sounded like Saix. Saix probably learned it from her.

"Oh." He said.

"How are Lea and Isa?" She asked. "No, how is everybody, except Xehanort. I couldn't care about him if I wanted." Bianca said bitterly. Xigbar cringed, too much like Saix.

"Everyone is doing, good I guess. We have a Keyblader now. We should be returning soon." Xigbar said.

"I guess it was that girl you were with after Jazak nearly beat you senseless?" She replied, unexpectedly ripping the bullet from his shoulder. Xigbar gave a loud cry, pressing his hand to his know bleeding shoulder. She seemed to have picked up a thing or two from Even when she was helping him in the labs. Bianca remained unaltered. Like stone.

"You've changed." He said. Bianca looked at him through her thick black lashes.

"I know. And I would give everything just to be fifteen again, so I could've stopped Xehanort before it was too late." She said. The first type of emotion he'd gotten from her since she'd seen his face. Bianca cleansed his wound and pressed a bandage to his wound, wrapping the gauze around his shoulder. She worked with a poker face that not even Luxord would've been able to break. He knew by the look in her eyes that she was in pain.

_Well what do you want me to do about it Bianca?_

_**STOP MEETING HIM THAT'S WHAT! **_She wore that exact same face when she screamed at him all those years ago. Though her eyes screamed in pain, pain only he could see. Pain only he could inflict, pain only he could comfort.

_He _was hurting her; it was him, the source of all his baby girl's pain. How could he be so _blind_? It was him, all him. He had started everything, everything that made her suffer. He promised he would never hurt her. At least, he promised himself, he promised himself he would be the best father possible the day they met. And he failed.

Bianca stared at her father, though he didn't physically age. He did mentally and she could see it. She knew he was completely oblivious. He was in a bout of self-hatred. Impressive, for a Nobody. She didn't want to hate him. But she almost couldn't help it. He hurt her more than her grandfather ever could have.

"Stop hating yourself. It's not getting you anywhere." She hissed at him. Braig looked at her, almost stunned.

"You can put your shirt back on, and if you're going back, than leave now. I don't want to get too attached." She said icily.

Xigbar nearly cringed at her harsh words. He looked at her the words were on the tip of his tongue.

_I'm sorry. _Why couldn't he say it? Bianca was leaning casually against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest and a foot pressed against the wall. Something Axel would do. Maybe there was hope; maybe his little Princess was in there somewhere. Xigbar with difficulty and a little help from Bianca got his shirt back on.

_Pathetic thing. _Bianca hissed mentally, she frowned at the thought. She couldn't help it. She was angry with him and they both knew it. All he had to do was apologize, and she would be happy again. But an apology from a Nobody wasn't even worth it, not without a heart to put into it.

"Bianca." He said her name he hadn't said her name, not even his pet name for her, for the entire thirty minutes that he was around.

"What…D-Father, what ever the hell I should call you." Bianca said, turning away from him to hide the tears that were gathering in her eyes.

Xigbar smiled, a bit of him, a bit him just showed through. He didn't care that what she said was probably the most disrespectful thing she'd ever said to him. It was him. The way he raised her.

"It's my fault, everything. I'm sorry, all right? I know that it may not mean a damn thing to you. But I have to say it." Xigbar said, standing up. Bianca turned around. Looking at him, her eyes wide, reminding him of when they first met, how she kept those big blue eyes wide and on him as he approached her. Wide like a baby deer's.

"That's all I wanted." A lone tear escaped, trailing down her cheek. Xigbar would've wiped it away but she slapped it away with the heel of her hand before he had the chance to even step forth.

"So, what, are you staying or leaving?" She asked him. Xigbar knew he had to leave, he knew it, so did she.

"I have to go, but I promise you, I will be back. I may even bring Ax-Lea with me, alright?" Bianca looked at him. That look was there, the same unsure look she had in her eyes when they parted for the last time. She and Braig.

_When I let go, run. Don't fight, just run. I'll hold them off as long as possible. Promise._ Braig had told her.

_**I promise, but I don't want to. **_She replied. He let her go. She stopped for a single second to watch her father conjure his weapons.

_I'll see you at the house. _ He told her. Bianca nodded and ran through the hordes of Heartless.

**It was a lie.**


	4. Chapter 4

"GUYS COME ON! Speed up a little, my dad isn't going to let you two run with me if you don't speed up!" A thirteen year old Bianca yelled at her friends.

"Sorry we're not Freeshooters-in-training that's been running ever since they were two and a half!" Lea yelled at her as he caught up with his friend.

"I didn't start running until I was six." Bianca replied, her hand on her hip. "Bianca, three minutes and twenty seconds. Stop wasting your time and kick it into gear!" Braig's voice sounded from a clearing on the other side of a patch of trees. Bianca groaned and ran towards her father at full speed.

_Have to break my record, I have to! _Bianca though. She had only a few seconds. She burst through the clearing and past her father.

"Four minutes sixteen seconds. Sorry, princess." Braig told her. Bianca groaned Lea and Isa came in about two minutes later.

"Lea, I know I'm not training you, but a tenth of a mile in five minutes. Bianca ran a mile in less than that." Lea didn't say a thing. Bianca was laughing. Isa too, though he had no room to talk.

"Alright princess, go get out of your running outfit and into your training clothes, meet me at the shooting range in ten minutes." Braig instructed on his way over to the said shooting range. Bianca nodded and ran to the house, ignoring Lea calling her insane.

Quickly changing she checked the time, it took her three minutes to get to house and change, she could probably walk to the shooting range and be there on time. She left her room and saw Lea and Isa with a water bottle each. Lea tossed her one. Bianca caught it and left the house, Lea and Isa following. She got to the shooting range with a minute to spare. Braig was checking his watch when he saw her approach.

"Alright, you need to work on your aim." He told her. Bianca groaned, that was BEGGINGERS!

"But Dad!" She replied, Braig shook his head.

"I don't want to hear it, you didn't exactly pass with flying colors when comes to aiming. So I want you to work on it a little bit. If you can get five bulls eyes in a row on the targets down there, then we'll move on." Braig told her. Bianca fought rolling her eyes. It was a problem, and it pissed her dad off, bad. So she just summoned her arrow guns and took the appropriate distance from the target and waited for further instructions.

"Alright, you have ten tries on this. Remember, all you need is five." Braig told her as he walked behind her.

"Get over here you morons. I don't want you in front of Bianca. Your parents would kill me if you got hurt." Braig scolded Lea and Isa. The two boys scrambled up from their seats on the ground and went to join Braig at the tree line behind Bianca.

"Have at it Princess." Braig told her. Bianca focused on the first target, it stood mockingly down the range, along with ten others. Ten tries, five bulls eyes, seemed easy enough.

_Center of the center._ Bianca told herself, and pulled the trigger once she was certain she found the center's center. She moved on, not even bothering to see if she made it, repeated what she did with the first one, and so on.

"Alright ten." Braig said. He passed by her and went down the shooting range, inspected each target, he shook his head, coming back.

"Four bulls eyes, six misses. That fifth one down the row would've been a bulls eye if you had been patient enough to actually take the time to aim carefully. You were just outside of the bulls eye on that one." Braig told her. Bianca groaned, angry with herself.

"You're life isn't at stake. So take your time and learn to aim. I've already taught you how, you're just not putting time into it. You take your time now, and when a real threat shows up, you'll be able to aim quickly like you want to." Braig told her patiently. Bianca nodded.

"Alright, let me go switch out the targets and we'll work on your aim for about fifteen minutes. We'll have to cut training short a little today, Ansem wants me in early today." Braig told his daughter. Bianca nodded and waited for her father to change out the targets.

"You know, your dad is way cooler than both of ours combined." Lea told her. Isa nodded.

"They both just go to work and lay around all day after they get home from work. Your dad actually interacts with you." Isa told her. Bianca turned around.

"I know he's awesome. I've been telling you that for the past eight years, but NO! Dads can't be cool! They're lazy and lay around all day!" Bianca said, imitating her friends. The three of them laughed.

"When are you gunna take us on a tour of Ansem's castle?" Lea asked.

"She's not, Bianca, have you been telling them that?" Braig asked.

"No Dad, I've been telling Flamesilocks here that I'm not allowed in the castle unless one of you guys are with me. They definitely wouldn't let me in with these to goons." Braig laughed at his daughter's reply

"Flamesilocks. I like it. Good one, Bianca. It suites him." Braig told her Bianca smiled.

"Ah, man Bianca! You HAD to call me that in front of HIM!" Lea asked, pointing up at her father from the grassy floor while throwing himself on the ground. Bianca smiled and laughed.

"Yep." She said. Braig laughed again.

"Alright, lets get back on track, We got less then fifteen minutes to work on your aim and if you don't get at least ten I'll work you for thirty after I get home today." Braig warned. Bianca nodded and turned. She took a little longer than usual and shoot at each target. Braig teleported over to the targets, not really having time to walk over. He checked her handiwork and returned with a proud look on his face.

"Now you've made me proud, Nine out of ten. Now I can go to work happy. I'll have something new to brag about." Braig said smiling proudly. Bianca nodded smiling broadly.

"Alright Princess. I gotta get to work. Don't get into any trouble, Right?" Braig asked before he walked away. Bianca gave a funny little two fingered salute.

"Sir, yes, sir!" She replied happily. Braig teleported out of sight and Bianca turned to her friends. They were laughing.

"Does he seriously brag?" Isa asked. Bianca nodded.

"Why else is his name one letter away from being brag?" Bianca asked. Earning more laughs from her friends.

* * *

><p>"Hey, yo, Bianca!" She heard him, Lea. She looked up, seeing her tall skinny friend. She smiled broadly and wraps him in a tight hug.<p>

"Lea! Oh My God, I missed you!" She exclaimed. The feeling of her small crush on her friend was returning.

"I missed you too!" Bianca pulled back, looking her friend in the face. She smiles.

"I'm glad to see you Lea, what about Isa? Was he able to come?" She asked Lea, stepping away from him.

"Sorry, he's been busy tracking down Ariexan. Xemnas pulled a cheap shot and she went AWOL. I can't blame her. I did too." Lea said, looking to the ground.

"What so you greet him with a hug, and me with a bullet to the shoulder. Wow I feel loved Bianca." Her father's voice came, he was on the crest of the hill that rose above the shooting range. She looked up and saw him.

"Hi Dad. I haven't seen Lea in forever, I'v- wait, yeah, there's no excuse for that. Sorry, won't happen again!" She told him, Lea beside her laughed and patted her head. Something he had done since he got taller than her in their sophomore year. Bianca laughed and covered her head. Stepping away from him with a playful glare. Lea smiled.

"Ol' Scarface told me that you shot him in the shoulder, seemingly without even trying. Looks like you're aims gotten better." Lea told her. She replied with a wink.


	5. Chapter 5

Bianca paced the floor, worried and fidgeting with her hands. Her father wasn't home yet. He had told her he was doing something for Xehanort. Bianca had begged him not to go, but he hadn't listened.

"Oh, why doesn't HE LISTEN!" She yelled at the ceiling. She was outraged. He said it would only take about two hours, but it had been HALF THE DAY! If he had just listened to her. What is it going to take for him to listen to her? He never listened to her when it came to Xehanort. She had told him countless times, she had told him and told him! HE NEVER LISTENED! There was an absence of light in Xehanort! That isn't GOOD!

"Oooh, if I EVER get my hands on that old coot, I swear I'll break his neck!" She spat angrily. She harrumphed and left the house, going to Ansem. She walked through Radiant Gardens at a quick pace and came up to the castle. She jogged up the steps, Dilan and Aeleus met her. Blocking her way.

"This better not be another distraction for your trouble-making friends, Bianca." Dilan scolded her. She gave him her best death glare.

"I need to talk to Ansem." She hissed at him.

"He's busy. I'm sure your father-" Dilan was cut off by an outraged reply;

"DON'T EVEN MENTION HIM RIGHT NOW!" She yelled at him, gave a miniscule scream, stomped her foot and stormed away. The two guards watched her swarm away angrily.

"Braig is in for hell when he gets home tonight." Dilan said. Aeleus laughed somewhat.

"She'll calm before he gets home." Aeleus knew Bianca almost better than Braig did. Bianca grumbled to herself angrily as she descended the steps. Growling she stopped, trying to decide where to go. She growled again and went left. That was when she saw him. Xehanort.

"HEY, YOU OLD COOT!" She yelled at him summoning her arrow guns, approaching him. He turned.

"Oh, I have heard that before. Quite like your father, Bianca." He told her, those creepy orange eyes looking at her with an odd sense of pride, she growled through her teeth, raising her weapons to him.

"Leave. Us. Alone." She hissed at him. He gave a creepy laugh. He nodded to someone behind her, before Bianca could even turn; she was attacked, what felt like the blunt end of a weapon to the back of her neck. Making her pass out.

When she woke, she saw Ienzo in her face, his concerned blue eyes stared at her and his little mouth was slightly agape. She was inside the castle's infirmary. She sat up, Ienzo backed away slightly.

"Do you know where my father is?" She asked him, Ienzo closed his mouth, his lips forming a short, solemn line and shook his head. The bangs in his face waving from side to side.

"EVEN!" She yelled and got off the bed.

"What is it Bianca, I swear…" The blonde scientist said, coming into the room.

"Do you know where my father is?" She demanded. Even gave a skeptical look. Giving a sigh.

"I do, but I'd rather not tell you, Dilan and Aeleus told me about your little temper tantrum when Dilan mentioned your father. I fear for his life, I really do." Even told her. Bianca glared at him.

"Tell me now." She hissed, walking over to him dangerously. Even met eyes with her icily and contemplated the consequences if he didn't tell the derailed teen.

"Last I heard he was down below the gardens. You should go check there." Even told her. Bianca narrowed her eyes at him then started to leave. Even stuck his arm out in front of her.

"I have to escort you out, Bianca, you know the rules." Even told her. She gave a frustrated growl and stepped back and gestured the scientist to go ahead of her.

"Then please, do lead the way." She growled angrily at him. She told him.

"Ienzo, keep an eye on the lab." Even told the little boy. Though he was small, Ienzo knew more about chemistry than Bianca. That's why she paid him in sea salt ice cream to do her Chemistry homework. Even lead the way out and into the hall.

Back in the infirmary, Braig came out of hiding with a bandaged face and eye. He looked at Ienzo. The small boy gazed up at him.

"Thanks kid, I owe you one." He told the child. Ienzo did nothing in return but went out to the labs. Braig attempted a step forward, but his new lack of depth perception made him waver somewhat, forcing him to grab onto a bed for support.

"How the hell am I going to explain this to Bianca?" He muttered, looking up to the ceiling as though it would give him answers. He growled to himself. He was at fault for this, not Xehanort. Maybe he should stop; maybe he should stay away from Xehanort. Even said his eye would never work again, if it did, he would see very poorly. Even also said that his face would be scarred. He had confronted Xehanort about it. That only got him a Keyblade to the neck. He had brushed it off until Aeleus had came in carrying Bianca, telling the story of what he had seen when he had followed Bianca in order to try to calm her. That just made Braig want to rip the old coot's head off. Hurt his baby girl will he….

Bianca followed Even angrily, the scientist was taking entirely too long. She couldn't go ahead of him though or she would get into trouble. She glared up at the back of his head.

"Glaring at me will not get me to walk any faster." Even told her, looking over his shoulder at her. Bianca grumbled under her breathe. Even looked ahead of him. They eventually got to the exit.

"Bianca, I don't recommend you go looking for your father. Please, just go home. I shouldn't have told you his whereabouts. Its dangerous without a decent escort." Even told her. Bianca groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'll go straight home." She hissed and marched outside, past Dilan and Aeleus. She gave them both a look over her shoulder. She walked down the steps and marched across the fountain clearing.

"HEY BIANCA!" She heard Lea's voice. Bianca turned around and saw the red head and Isa coming at her at full speed. She stopped and waited for them to approach her.

"Hey, we're about to go pull a huge prank on Arlene, come on, it'll be hilarious, even better if her pink haired friend is here for a visit!" Lea told her, Bianca shook her head.

"No thanks. I gotta get home, maybe later." She told him, Lea pouted somewhat and shrugged.

"Your loss." He told her and ran the other direction, Isa stayed behind for a second.

"You ok?" He asked. Bianca nodded.

"Yeah, go on and have fun with Lea, I'll see you at tomorrow." Isa gave her a skeptical look.

"Fine." He said Bianca continued home. Walking across town in silence. Bianca left the city limits.

She came up to the house and went inside. She plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

_**Later**_

It was around midnight when Braig went home. He had stayed at the castle late, attempting to keep Bianca off his back while he tried to come up with something to tell her. He entered the house and Bianca was curled up in the recliner cuddling her bunny. Something she'd had for years. She was dead asleep. Braig watched her with a pang in his heart. She was only trying to keep him from getting hurt. She saw something in Xehanort that she didn't trust.

"_You know I should be the one nagging you about seeing people I don't trust!" Braig hissed at her as he was leaving to run through the plan with Xehanort one more time._

_ "Oh what, so I'm nagging! I'm only trying to hold on to the only parent I have left! But fine if you want to get killed helping a guy you hardly know against my intuition, which you know is correct almost all of the time, THEN FINE KNOCK YOUSELF OUT!" Bianca yelled at him as she disappeared down the hall. The door to her room slammed shut so hard that it shook the entire house slightly._

He now had the wounds to prove that she was right. That he had no idea what he was in and he couldn't back out know, or he'd have that Keyblade at his throat again. What was he going to say to her? Bianca was going to kill him the minute she woke up. Braig went outside onto the front porch.

"She has an anger problem. Like you." Old Xehanort told him, the old coot was on his porch, just come out of the blue like that!

"Leave Bianca out of this." Braig hissed.

"I fully intended on that, until she nearly attacked me this afternoon." Xehanort replied.

"You shouldn't have attacked her, She's also like me when faced with a weapon like the Keyblade to the neck, she'd back down." Braig returned, glaring at the old man. Xehanort gave a laugh.

"She injected herself into this, she'll have to find her way out of this." Xehanort said, walking across the porch and down the stairs. Braig glared at him.

"Keep her out of this. I'll tell her I've scrapped the whole project after losing my eye to your plans. She'll believe me and she'll stay out of this. Just leave her alone!" Braig said, jumping down the steps and went to stand in Xehanort's path. Those orange eyes bit their way through the dark as Xehanort focused on Braig.

"Fine, just make sure she believes you."

**_Morning_**

"Bianca, wake up! Come on girl, I have something to tell you that I know will make you happy." Braig shook his daughter awake. Bianca's blue eyes opened sleepily.

"What?" She asked groggily, then seeing her face's bandaged face, she jump up out of the recliner.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU!" She screamed at him. Braig kept his cool.

"Princess, listen to me. I'm taking your advice, and I hate that it took me losing my eye to get it, but I did. I'm not going to help him anymore. I promise." Braig told her. The pure rage on her face melted away and she smiled. Bianca hugged him.

"It's a little late, but thanks for listening."

_**A/ N: I just realized I was listening to 30 Second's To Mars' Beautiful Lie when I finished this chapter NO JOKE! That was completely unintentional! XD**_


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of a teleport went off in the alley of the Memory Skyscraper. This was followed by the sound of Sharp Shooters going off.

"BIANCA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Xigbar yelled, getting out of the line of the shots. Yet the bullets' path warped. There was a young woman and despite her age, she had a grey streak, her long, thick bangs.

"What's right, old man." She said, reloading. The man got up, glaring at the woman, they looked, similar.

"You're betraying your own father? For what? Something that doesn't even care about you?" Xigbar asked. The girl glared.

"You're acting like you cared in the first place." She replied. Xigbar gasped his eye widening.

"What are you talking about I alw-"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN?" She sent a volley of bullets at him, "WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BACK! HOW MANY PROMISES TO ME HAVE YOU BROKE?" She teleported and gave her father a right cut to the jaw. He didn't expect it and nearly fell to the ground, but his daughter grabbed his cloak and threw him into the wall.

"YOU'RE STILL TEAMED UP WITH XEHANORT! YOU PROMISED ME AND YOU BROKE IT! AGAIN! WELL GUESS WHAT BRAIG! I AM NO LONGER YOUR DAUGHTER! I AM PLAYING FOR THE SIDE OF THE LIGHT! I WILL NO LONGER STAY IN THE NEUTRAL AND WAIT FOR EVERYTHING TO JUST FIX ITSELF! YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER! I AM AN ORPHAN! THE MAN WHO RAISED ME IS DEAD, HAS BEEN SINCE I WAS SIXTEEN! You had your chance to make things right. You had your chance to keep me. You had your chance to get your little Princess back. But you wasted them, all of them. We are now enemies. And I will think of you as nothing more than an enemy." She told him. Xigbar stopped, gasping again. Then stood up straight, regaining his composure, he closed his eye and sighed.

"Fine then, my own daughter is my enemy, okay, I can return the favor." He said and sent a volley of purple bullets at his own flesh and blood. The girl merely teleported behind the shooter. The bullets warped their path and hit Xigbar, trying to get to their intended target. A few of them flew past him and lodged into the wall behind him and Bianca. She was crouching behind him. He gave a groan and fell to his hands and knees.

His daughter rose to her feet, seeing her father on the ground, bleeding in numerous places. She hardened her heart, just as he did to her pleading years ago. Walking over to him, she gave him a glare. Then kicked him in the side, he cried out in pain and sprawled out on the ground on his back. Looking up at his daughter, begging for his life.

"Was it worth it, Braig? Is it really losing your only child, the only thing you left behind when you became a Nobody? Just to help out some old man that got you nothing but trouble?" Bianca asked.

"Bianca, please, just listen." He said quietly. Her eyes went aflame and she sneered angrily.

"NO! YOU NEVER LISTENED TO ME, WHY IN ALL THE WORLDS SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE ON YOUR DYING BREATHE? REMEMBER, I'M NOT YOUR DAUGHTER ANYMORE!" Bianca screamed in rage and pulled Xigbar from the ground and slammed him against the wall. He gave another cry of pain. He looked her in the eyes. Those eyes were full of pain masked by rage. She was sad on the inside. Sad that her own father didn't ever keep a single promise he made, even the one that he made to himself. The one that he made to himself to be the best father he could be.

He took the hand that was fisting his cloak, it shook terribly. He was slowly fading again. His own daughter took his life in blind rage.

"Bianca, I'm sorry." He told her weakly. Her hard features softened and tears slid down her face. She slowly let him down on the ground and knelt in front of him, tears still falling.

"You tell me this now. It really doesn't matter anymore, we can't fix it." She said quietly and sat there until he faded away. Darkness washed upon him.

* * *

><p>"It will come to this, Braig." Said a deep, rumbling voice. Xigbar looked up and saw a young girl, she was about fifteen, she had a short black bob, her eyes were silver and she had pale marble skin. She wore the Organization XIII coat, but there was never a girl like her in the Organization. He squinted at her. She blinked and walked over to him, offering him her hand. He took it and the girl helped him up. A fifteen year old Bianca flashed in his mind. Once he was standing the girl walked away from him.<p>

Then Luxord's image faded in behind the small girl. Xigbar blinked at his friend. The blonde did nothing but returned his look almost absently.

"She is the Key to fix all that is broken." The voice continued. Axel faded into the picture too, beside Luxord. A Keyblade appeared in the girl's hand, she lifted it up, the Keyblade was tilted. She jerked the Keyblade a little, a sign. Xigbar reached up and grabbed the hilt of the Keyblade, a jolt went through his body and everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Xigbar! Xigbar! COME ON MAN! Dude wake up!" Demyx's voice came through the gloom.<p>

"Give up, Demyx, he isn't going to wake up. No telling how long we were out before we woke up." It was Luxord. Xigbar opened his eye, and then had to shield it from the bright light in his face.

"Dude, he's awake!" Demyx said, the Nocturne turned to the blonde Brit as Xigbar sat up. Xigbar looked at Luxord. Why was he with that girl? Why was Axel with that girl? He wasn't even part of the Organization anymore.

"Nice to see you, mate." Luxord told him, standing.

"He's awake?" Came Saix's voice. Xigbar looked to the blunette, then stood, they were in C.O. Xigbar assumed that Xemnas was still out or they'd be in The Castle That Never Was if he was.

"Good, now all we need is Xemnas to return and we can resume our mission." Saix said, that earned him weary gazes from the rest of the Organization. Pinky and Bitch on Wheels were there and they looked nervous.

"Xigbar, since you're Number Two, we need your opinion. Kill the traitors, or let them live. Xemnas will have the final word, but we need your vote." Saix asked.

"Kill 'em, and if they come back, kill 'em again." Xigbar said. Saix nodded.

"Take them to the dungeons for now." Saix ordered Xaldin and Lexeaus. Xigbar looked to Luxord.

"Hey, can I get a minute." Xigbar asked. Luxord nodded. The two left the room and went down the hall a bit.

"So, when you were out, did you 'dream' about a girl. She's like fifteen, with silver eyes and a black bob." Xigbar asked him. Luxord thought about it, searching his memory.

"It may have been right before you woke up if you did." Xigbar told him. The Brit closed his eyes, opening them he shook his head.

"No, why?" He asked.

"Because I did, and you were with her." He told Luxord, the blonde shrugged.

"Who knows." Luxord replied and went back up the hall into the room, leaving the Freeshooter scratching his head in the hallway.

"The Key to fix what is broken, eh? We'll see about that, mystery girl." He muttered to himself and followed the Gambler of Fate.

**~A Year Later~**

He watched Luxord roll in with the new Keyblader, by then, Xigbar had completely forgotten about the mystery Keyblader girl. She hadn't crossed his mind at all, not even when Xemnas told Xigbar that Luxord had found a Keyblader.

The mystery Keyblader crossed his mind when he laid eye on the new Keyblader of Organization Thirteen. He let out a quiet gasp.

She had the black bob, and silver eyes, the pale complexion. This girl was exactly the same from what he 'dreamt' about. The girl picked up his gasp and looked right at him. Xigbar covered his surprise with a solemn flat look. She looked back down and then looked up to Xemnas as he spoke.

"Good Friends, I give you, Ariexan, the new Number XIII, one of the Keyblade's Chosen." Xemnas' voice boomed. Xigbar looked down on the small girl.

"Ariexan, eh? We'll see what you can do, kid, we'll see what you can do." Xigbar said quietly to himself. She seemed to her him again and she looked up at him.

_The Key to fix all that is broken._


	7. Chapter 7

The girl growled, she never talked to him on missions, Axel and Luxord both told him that she was a chatter box, but oddly enough, she didn't speak, she didn't threat, she just went animalistic. It made Xigbar wonder.

Abaddon Plasma Keyblade appeared in her hand as the two Nobodies were greeted with several heartless. She jumped into battle and attacked, reminding him of Bianca.

The seventeen year old Freeshooter and the Elder Freeshooter worked side to side, fending the town against the heartless. They worked smoothly and in a perfect pattern, the father daughter duo had the attack pattern down to a science. The two could even have an every day conversation while fighting against the heartless. Today was not the case.

"Dad!" Bianca screamed as he almost fell, Braig teleported away and shook the stupid creatures off of him and shot them teleported back and assisted his daughter in taking out the heartless, but they just kept coming.

"We're not gunna make it out of this, are we Dad?" Bianca asked him, her voice telling him she was crying. Braig couldn't stop to look his daughter in her face.

"We might not, but you are. Get out of here." Braig told her.

"What, NO! Dad I'm not leaving here without you!" She cried, still shooting at the endless waves of heartless.

"Princess, what's the point in both of us going down. Go on! If I die, oh well. I've had a good enough life to be fine with that! Its because of you, now get out of here! Get somewhere safe!" He told her.

"But I-"

"GO!" Braig yelled at her, allowing a storm of bullets to fall down upon the ocean of heartless that surrounded them.

"I don't want to, but, bye Dad." She told him, sniffling. The sound of a teleport went off and Braig fought for as long as he could alone. The wave of Heartless overtook him and stole his heart.

Xigbar was brought from the memory as the Keyblader unleashed a scream as the Infernal Engine hit her with a fireball. She took cover and blocked the attacks. Xigbar had been absentmindedly taking out the little archerers at the top of the war machine. He could hear her breathing, basically growling.

"BACK OFF!" And she went crazy, grilling the Infernal Engine and driving it back, even taking out the archerers with high blows and attacking the battering ram with crazy rage. She jumped back and Air Slid away as the Infernal Engine charged. Once it returned to normal, she went back again. Xigbar was shocked. The Infernal Engine seized and was defeated by Ariexan. She gently landed on the ground, her breaths coming in growling gasps. The money and HP fell down in a huge shower. She walked away from the end of the bridge and made her way back to her Superior member.

"Can we go home now?" She asked him.

"S-sure, Rix. You always been able to do that?" He asked her, pointing to where the giant heartless used to stand. She followed his gesture.

"Do what?" She asked. Xigbar took that as an unintential yes. He didn't saw anything but gave the desolent area one last look before heading back to the Dark Corridor. He watched her go ahead of him into the Dark Corridor.

"How can you be the 'Key that Fixes All' when you're playing right into Xemnas' hands?" He asked quietly, then followed her suite.

**Super short, sorry! D,X**


	8. Get Away Part One

It was a time of peace, before the heartless got out of control, when one could walk down the street and see one heartless going home and coming back, every few weeks. Braig had a trick up his sleeve, he had gotten leave from Ansem and he was making it up to Bianca for all this bull that had been happening. He skipped the car and just teleported home. Opening the door he saw Bianca, Isa, and Lea. They were watching TV. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave a disapproving look. Bianca was cuddling with her bunny rabbit on the couch next to Lea.

"Alight, pack your things Bianca, boys, call your parents. We're getting away from here for a while. I've rented a cabin up in the mountains and if your parents say you two can come you can." Braig said, going to his room to pack. Bianca got off of the couch and followed him, stopping him on the first flight of steps

"Wait, we're going to the mountains, you're letting Isa and Lea come, are you okay? Xehanort isn't coming is he?" She asked. Braig looked at her with a charming smile on his face.

"No, Princess. Just me, you, and your friends in there if their parents let him. You're 17 years old and you have to act like a soldier to get through the day, you need a break. There aren't any heartless in the mountains, Dilan was there a few days ago, you three deserve a break. Now go pack." He told her. She smiled so happily, Bianca threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thanks Dad." He hugged his daughter back, laughing some. She let him go and rushed to her room to pack. He realized he would need the car if the boys were allowed to come. He walked into the living room, seeing Lea on the phone. He turned to Isa, who had his license.

"Are you permitted to come?" He asked the blunette. He nodded. Braig dug the keys out of his pocket.

"Do you mind stopping by the castle and picking up the car for me?" He asked, showing Isa the keys.

"No problem." Isa said. Braig smiled and tossed the keys at the 18 year old. He caught them. They heard Lea gave a victory whoop and hang up the phone.

"My parents told me to tell you good luck and thanks for letting me come and getting me out of their hair." Lea told him. Braig shook his head.

"This is for Bianca, she's been working harder than any of us and I think she deserves a break." Braig said. The two nodded and left to go get Braig's car. His poor baby though. He looked up at the ceiling, knowing Bianca was two floors above his head, packing her things like the giddy child she should be acting like. He then looked down, shaking his head. How could he have let this happen? He had done everything against what she had warned him of, and Radiant Garden was paying for it. He never should've helped that old coot and now everything he loved and cared for was in danger. He was tempted to leave Bianca in the mountains. But he knew she wouldn't have it. She would stay there unless he was with her.

Braig was an apprentice of Ansem the Wise, and if Radiant Gardens fell, they all would go with it. They all made that pact years ago, when Braig was Bianca's age. He was ashamed of what he did, and he couldn't take it back. But he would give his life if it meant saving his baby girl.

Bianca came down the steps with her bag over her shoulder. He looked at her with a swelling pride in his chest. She had become so much more than what he thought she would be. She was the best Freeshooter he had ever seen. She was better than him, and better than her grandfather. She was smart as a whip, and the prettiest girl in Radiant Garden.

"You make me proud, you know that right?" He told her. She smiled, laughing, rolling her eyes in good nature.

"Don't get all mushy on me, old man." She told him. Braig smiled, looking at the ground, laughing with his daughter.

"Just trying to have a moment here, but… Listen. I don't think I ever apologized for the whole with Master Xehanort, I'm sorry, you were right Princess." He told her. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn't.

"It's fine Dad," She gave him the signature Freeshooter side smirk, "I'm just glad you got out of it before it was too late." She was pretending. He knew she knew that Xehanort was Master Xehanort. She didn't know how he did it, but somehow he had lost fifty years and become a young 25 year old. She was pretending that all these Heartless things were just an accident, they would disappear. She hoped, she pretended that Xehanort was just an amnesiac that just so happened to have the same name as an old enemy, she knew she was lying to herself. Her father's arms wrapping around her was what brought her out of her mind.

"I promise you, everything will work out right. I'm not going to let you down, Princess." Braig told her. She nodded as he let go, taking a few steps back.

"I know Dad." She told him. Braig nodded and smiled.

"Now, quit being melodramatic and start acting like your usual spunky self, we're getting away from a little bit damnit, and I'm letting you take your insane friends." Braig told his daughter, she laughed.

"Speaking of the devils, where did they go?" She asked.

"They went to pick up my car and to get packed. They'll be back soon." Braig told her, going to the kitchen.

"Do you want to stop by somewhere along the road and get some snacks or do you want to pack some?" Braig asked, opening the cupboards and looking.

"Do we even have snack food?" Bianca asked, sitting on the stool and spinning around in the chair. Braig realized she was right and closed the cupboards.

"Guess we'll be snacking on the road then." Braig said. Bianca giggled and went to get a green tea from the fridge.

"Why do you drink that stuff? Normal teens are drinking Coke and Sprite, but you're drinking green tea." Braig asked.

"It's better for my health. I would like it if you started to drink it. It reduces the chances of cancer and stuff." She said.

"You know, you can't hold to me forever." He told her. Bianca looked down with a frown, she gave a sigh.

"I know. But I, Dad, I'm just scared to lose you. You're the only parent I have left. I don't know what I will do when I lose you." She told him. He sighed heavily.

"Well, let's not think about that, it's a long way down the road. But how many times do I have to tell you? We're about to get away from all this bull, so cheer up!" Braig fussed. Bianca laughed, smiling.

"Alright! I'll cheer up!" She said. Braig smiled. The two heard the car pull up; they grabbed their bags and went outside. Bianca got in the back, Braig kicked Lea out of shotgun.

"You don't want to drive?" Isa asked him. Braig gave him a crazy look.

"Do you want a guy with one eye driving through the mountains? It's hard enough for me to drive through Radiant Garden. I don't want to kill you three." He said. Isa shrugged. Then put the car into reverse, turned around and headed down the driveway.

Bianca and Lea were quietly chatting; Braig was watching the road go by in nostalgia, he remembered coming here with his parents. His own father had died after the whole thing with Terra, Aqua, and Ventus blew over. Braig believed it was a higher power punishing him for assisting Xehanort in the destruction of three innocent people. His mother had died a few years ago, when Bianca was ten.

Bianca hadn't seen her maternal grandparents since he took her from them. She hardly remembered them. But she had told Braig that her bastard grandfather had hit her. Braig knew killing him would be illegal. So he pulled a few strings and had him arrested. No one was going to hurt Bianca and not pay for it. He looked at Bianca in the mirror. She was asleep, her headphones over her ears and she was actually holding onto Lea's arm. Braig gave the scene an odd look. He knew she would eventually get into a relationship with one of her two close friends.

He had preferred Isa if that was the case. Isa was mature and responsible. He was respectable, and he respected Braig in every case. Lea seemed a little too laid back, didn't take things too seriously. He had to take summer school every year since middle school because he slacked off too much. But Braig realized that Bianca was far too serious and such and that she needed someone playful and relaxed. He gave a small nod of approval at the two, Lea had seen it, Isa too. Lea gave him a nod in return.


	9. Get Away Part Two

Bianca woke him up. Braig looked up, seeing that they were on the side of the road, in the night. Isa and Lea were out of the car arguing.

"We're lost." She told him. Braig looked up.

"Do you have a general idea of where we're at?" He asked her.

"We're in the mountains, that's all I know. Not a single car has gone by in about thirty minutes." She told him. She looked to her friends with a smirk on her face. She was relaxed, not really minding the fact she was lost, she was just glad to get away from the heartless. Her father got out of the car and looked to the horizon.

"If you guys had drove long enough, we would've gotten to a town. There are lights in the distance." Lea and Isa looked at him simultaneously and then to the horizon and groaned. Seeing that Braig was right.

"Get back in the car geniuses." Braig said, getting back in the car. Bianca smiled and laughed some. Lea slid in beside Bianca and Isa rounded the front of the car and sat down in the driver's seat starting up the car, he pulled back into the road and headed towards the lights. Braig pulled the directions out of his pocket and put them down on the dashboard.

"Why didn't you wake me up when you first realized we were lost?" He asked. Lea laughed, leaning forward some.

"I can answer that one, Isa here is too proud to admit that we were lost." Lea said. Isa glared at him from the rear view mirror. Braig shook his head.

"Oh well, when we get into town, we'll get to the cabin and then we'll have s'mores and act like the dysfunctional family we don't want to admit we are." Braig said. Bianca giggled. It was true. Lea leaned over.

"Your dad knows. I think he's cool with it, unless he's going to shoot me in my sleep and leave me in the mountains." Lea told her. Bianca laughed, shaking her head.

"No, if my dad wanted to shoot you, he would've shot you in the face right then and there." Bianca told Lea. No one knew her father better than her. Lea laughed slightly and looked out his window, watching the surroundings go by. Bianca plugged back into her music. Closing her eyes and getting lost in the lulling sounds of orchestra. Her father called her weird for listening to orchestra at the age of 17. She argued saying it was spiritual and good for her mental well-being. Braig has mumbled something about her being a health nut. She had thrown the coach pillow at him.

Those were happier times. She was hoping to make more memories like those on this get away trip. She missed just being a kid. She looked out her window and watched the sky, the stars zipping by. She inhaled and closed her eyes, drifting off into another world.

They eventually drove into town. Bianca was asleep, but the cruel florescent lights of the road lamps hit her face and woke her. She woke up in a fuzzy haze, stretching, hearing her back pop, she slumped into the seat. The light wasn't bothering Lea though. He was still knocked out, his head resting against the window. They pulled into a gas station. Bianca and Braig got out of the car and went into the station while Isa pumped the gas.

"I'm not mad or anything, I'm just curious. Why didn't you tell me you were dating Lea?" Braig asked her. Bianca looked to the ground.

"Because I was afraid you were going to murder Lea. I know you don't like him much. But, he makes me happy again. You know how much stress I'm under. Dad, Lea makes me forget for a little while." She told him, Braig sighed.

"As long as you're happy and he treats you right, which I know he will, I approve." Braig told his daughter. Bianca nodded.

"Are we going to stock up on food here or are we going to go to a store?" Bianca asked her father. Braig thought for moment.

"Let's just get the gas here and go to the store for food and stuff." Braig told her. She nodded. It was nice. It had been so long since they just talked. For the past three years all they did was just argue and fight. They were leaving that all behind, for now, at least. She sighed and closed her eyes, that familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach raised again. That feeling that made her want to cry uncontrollably came back. She fought it away. She kept telling herself to relax. She walked up to the counter with her father and remained silent as the clerk and Braig made small talk.

There was a sudden change in Bianca; she was carefree for a few hours there and then all of a sudden she was quiet and sad. He narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. He shook his head; he should be the one worrying. He was the apprentice that promised to protect Radiant Garden; his daughter never should have gotten involved. But she was and he couldn't get her to back out. He paid for the gas; got directions back to the highway that lead to the way to get to the cabin and left the station.  
>"Alright, Isa, if you turn right and go for about ten miles, you'll come to an exit, take that and go for forty miles. Look for exit 8 and take it when you see it, if I'm asleep; wake me up so I can give you the instructions to get to the cabin from there." Braig told him. The blunette nodded and pulled out. Braig couldn't help but watch Bianca in the mirror, he was worried about her.<p>

Her blue eyes looked up and caught him watching her. He quickly looked away. He opened the window and let the cool mountain air flow in, it gave him a better view of the stars too. He heard Lea groan sleepily. He turned his head and saw the redhead wake up. He lifted his head and glared at Braig, the older man gave a taunting laugh.

"You're gunna date my daughter, I'm gunna give you hell." Braig said. Bianca clicked her tongue in agitation.

"Dad!" She said. He laughed.

"I'm just kidding, I didn't open the window to wake you up Flamesilocks." Braig said, he didn't put up the window though. Lea grumbled some, Bianca reached across the car and grabbed his arm affectionately, giving him a charming smile. Lea gave her his signature side smirk. She was beginning to feel happy again.

The four of them eventually got to the cabin. Bianca gave a whoop and teleported out of the car. Braig looked at her like he was crazy.

"Was that necessary?" He asked. She laughed.

"Pfft, no." She replied laughing as she spoke. Braig laughed, going to the cabin, he got the key out of the mailbox and unlocked the cabin, coming back for his bag. Bianca grabbed her own bag and walked beside Lea into the cabin.

"Alright, there are seven rooms. There's two on the second floor, two on the third floor and three down here. I know it's a little over kill, but whatever. Go pick one, each." Braig added. Bianca rolled her eyes and went upstairs. Isa and Lea followed her.

"Your dad... is still the coolest dad ever, Bianca." Lea told her. She laughed, smiling.

"Yeah, I know." She said, smiling happily. She went up the other flight of steps and found the last two rooms. Entering one she saw it was the master bedroom, a very nice, elegant room. She teleported down stairs and saw her father sitting on the couch.

"Dad, the master bedroom isn't really you, can I have it?" She asked him, he looked at her and chuckled.

"I guess, Princess." He told her, sprawling out on the couch. "This couch is pretty comfortable, I might crash here for the night." He told her. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"You get up and go pick out a room, you crazy old man." She told him, putting her bag down. Braig opened his eye, looking at his bossy daughter.

"That's the girl I've missed having around." He told her.


	10. Get Away Part Three

Bianca woke to the smell of coffee rising up from the first floor. She kicked off the blankets and swung her feet over the edge and standing. She stretched and rubbed her eyes. Coming to the steps she walked down them carefully and turned into the kitchen. Her father stood in there, leaning against the sink, waiting drowsily for the coffee to get done. He looked up when she came into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"'Morning, Princess." He told her. She looked at him drowsily. He gave a smirk.

"Wait, if we haven't gone to the store how are you making coffee?" She asked him. He laughed, opening a cupboard, looking for a coffee mug.

"I packed it." He told her. Bianca smiled sleepily; she stood up, looking for something to write on and a pencil or something. She found what she was looking for and went back to the table.

"Alright, what do we need from the store?" She asked. Braig sat down in front of her with his coffee, taking a drink, thinking.

"Well, a vacation to the mountains in a cabin is nothing without s'mores, as I said last night and yes I was being serious. We'll need the stuff for that. Stuff for burgers and hotdogs. Um, probably bug repellent. We'll just go and see what they have. Or we could do this later. I'm not too awake right now." Braig said, yawning, causing his daughter to as well. She smiled despite it.

Braig took a drink of his coffee. Bianca got up and went for a cup for herself, having nothing better to do. They were silent.

"Where are the coffee mugs, Dad?" She asked, turning around to face him. Braig turned and pointed to the cupboard on the other side of the oven. Bianca started to go over to the cupboard then stopped.

"No sugar, damn. We didn't think ahead to well did we?" Bianca asked, huffing, she went back over to the table and sat down, she picked up the pen and doodled,

"Can we go to the store now or do we have to wait for Lea and Isa to wake up?" She asked. Braig stared at his reflection, almost glaring at the scar and eye patch. His one brown eye was beginning to hint gold. Bianca hadn't noticed anything yet.

"Dad?" Bianca barked quietly. He looked up at her.

"Huh?" He asked, not hearing what Bianca had said. She was giving him her famous worried look.

"Can we go to the store now or should we wait for Lea and Isa to wake up?" Bianca asked, Braig looked to the microwave, checking the time, eight forty seven.

"You want to go now?" He asked, taking a drink from his coffee. Bianca shrugged.

"I'm hungry, we have no food, unless you squirrelled away some cereal bars with your coffee." She told him.

"I guess we should go to the store, do you want the boys to come or what?" Braig asked. She shrugged again.

"I am NOT going to wake Isa up, you can't pay me enough to. He is scary when he's woken up against his will." She said.

"Thanks Bianca, I appreciate it." They heard Isa say. He walked into the kitchen and sat down at one of the ends of the table. Bianca blushed and scribbled at the page.

"Sorry. Do you want to come to the store with us?" Bianca asked. Isa slumped down in the chair, giving a sigh.

"Someone should be here when Lea wakes up." Isa said. Braig laughed some, smiling his Freeshooter smile.

"He's seventeen, not seven. We can leave him a note and go to the store, he'd understand. Bianca gets cranky when she gets hungry anyway."

"Hey!" Bianca objected. Braig laughed, taking another drink from his coffee casually, meeting eyes with Isa. The blunette looked at him with a weird look, his blue eyes wide.

"What's wrong with your ey-" Braig pretended to swallow his coffee wrong and started to cough violently. He didn't want Bianca getting suspicious.

"Dad!" Bianca cried, worried. Braig 'managed' to get another drink of coffee and he stopped coughing.

"I'm fine Bianca." He said, staining his voice some, giving another small weak cough just for good measure. "I just swallowed wrong. You know, I think you and I are a little mixed up." He told her. Bianca rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I'm going to go get ready to go to town." She said, standing up and leaving the kitchen.

"You faked that." Isa said. Braig looked at him with a faked weirded out expression, taking a drink from his coffee. Isa glared at him.

"Alright, something is wrong. But I want Bianca to be able to get away from all this crazy bull that's going on back at Radiant Garden, don't you say anything to Bianca because I will call your parents and have them come get you, I am not afraid to become the asshole Dad everyone hates." Braig said calmly. Isa held his hands up in surrender.

"Ok, I get it. I won't say anything to Bianca." Isa replied, standing up and going out of the kitchen. Braig looked at his reflection in the coffee again. Was it worse than what it looked? He looked up at the ceiling.

_I fucked up, bad, maybe beyond fixing. _He thought to himself. He reached across the table and grabbed the pad, looking at what his daughter had drawn. There were names. His eye widened as he recognized them.

_Xehanort=Master Xehanort? Terra? Ventus? Aqua? _How did she know these names? How did she know about the three Keybladers? How did Bianca know that about Xehanort? As far as she knew, Xehanort had skipped town after Braig had supposedly stopped helping him.

"Are you okay?" Braig jumped when he heard Bianca's voice. "You look like you've seen a ghost." She asked walking over to the table. Braig flipped the page and handed it to her.

"I was going to write the note for Lea." He said quietly. She gave him a typical 'whatever' look and sat down at the table writing the note to Lea herself and flipping over to the front page. She ripped it out and shoved it in her hoody pocket. She wore her black jacket with white stitching and purple pants the hoody was zipped up so he couldn't see her shirt. They were quiet standing in the kitchen staring at each other. Bianca knew he had seen the page; she was trying to convince herself that he hadn't. Bianca gave a huff and went to Lea's room, putting the note on the bedside table, looking at Lea with his monster bedhead. She smiled some and laughed quietly, leaving the room.

She went up the back steps, avoiding the kitchen and went to her room, pulling out the piece of paper from her pocket.

"Why did you help him Dad? These people were innocent. What made you do it? What did Xehanort offer you that made you change so much?" She said, collapsing on the bed. She curled up. She had to know. She'd confront Xehanort later.

"Hey Bianca, we're leaving. Are you alright, Princess?" Braig said, walking into her room, he laid his hand on her shoulder. She turned over; he saw her eyes were red. A flash of her as a child when he came to get her from her grandparents went of in his mind.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. She sat up, giving a huff.

"Nothing." She said, standing, giving him a smile. "I'm just thinking, that's all." She said. Braig gave her an odd look.

"Then why are you crying, Princess?" He walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Dad, I feel like everything is about to fall apart. I know that I shouldn't be acting all worried, but with what is hanging over me, I can't just be a carefree teenager." She said, starting to cry. Braig wrapped his arms around his daughter.

"Even if everything does fall apart, we'll stick together, fight it off, and come out on top again. I promise." Braig said quietly. Bianca looked up at him, a lone tear escaping from her eye.

"Alright," She stepped back, taking in a deep, shaky sigh. "I think I just needed to get that off my chest." She said quietly. Braig smiled, then ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Good, now let's get to the store, Isa is waiting for us." Braig said. Bianca smiled, they both teleported down to the car.

Driving into town, Bianca realized that the town was actually quite charming in the daylight, she had found it kind of intimidating and empty at night, of course it was about two-thirty in the morning when they had arrived.

Isa pulled into the local Wal-Mart. The three of them got out of the car and walked into the store. Bianca always felt weird going into a Wal-Mart when it was early in the morning. No one was there and it was eerily quiet. She walked beside Isa as they walked around the store.

Braig caught his reflection in one of the mirrors that Wal-Mart was selling in the toiletry area. He turned to the mirror and picked it up. Looking into his reflection's eye. It was more pronounced than his reflection in the coffee. He grimaced at his scar and eye patch.

"Dad, what are you doing?" He jumped, dropping the mirror. Bianca caught it for him via her levitation powers. She floated it back up and put it back on the shelf.

"Uhm, well. I've been using this scar cream and I was trying to get rid of this scar of mine. It isn't working." He said. Bianca gave one of those weird looks.

"I've been checking a lot, lately." Braig told her. Bianca rolled her eyes and walked over to him. Braig stood up straight.

"Isa and I are done shopping. We can go now, if you're done staring into mirrors." She told him. Braig smiled, laughing.

"Alright, let's go." He said walking down the aisle to the registers.


	11. Chapter 11

All Nobodies go through a comatose state. To remember their lives, who they used to be and who they used to love. For Xigbar, that state was horrible.

He was walking along in an empty bliss, listening to Xaldin gripe, when the terrible headache hit. He went down to one knee, giving painful whimpers.

_"Daddy!" A playful child shrieked in joy, he heard his own laughter._ Xigbar looked up, looking around for the girl who had spoken nothing but the grey walls.

"Xigbar!" Xaldin barked, kneeling down beside him. The pain doubled. Xigbar gave a scream, nearly collapsing on the ground. His vision went black.

_"Daddy, it's going to be okay!" _The girl spoke again. _"I love you!" _The girl was still nowhere to be seen.

In the hallway, the young Nobody Xaldin was looking at his collapsed superior, the thought that he could be dead came to mind so he ran for help, Vexen wasn't very far away.

_"Bianca! Don't touch that! I can't have you burning yourself or spilling something! Ansem would kill me!" Xigbar heard his voice scolding, a girl named Bianca._

_ "Then why did you even bring her here, Braig! You know she could get hurt!" He heard Vexen's cold voice._

_ "Because her babysitter is out of town and I couldn't find a replacement, that's why!" He replied, the scene faded in, he could feel himself glaring at Vexen, no, Even. _

_ "Well then get her out of the labs, there are hazards everywhere she turns." Even replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Braig rolled his eyes. He turned to a small girl, about five._

_ "Take her to Aeleus, he doesn't mind watching her." Even offered. Braig frowned and walked over to the little girl, picking her up._

_ "Come on, Princess, we're going to go see Aeleus, he's always been fond of children her age." Braig said and walked out of the labs. The girl wiggled, she wanted to walk. Braig smiled and put her down. She held onto his hand as they went to find Aeleus._

"Princess." Vexen stopped as Xigbar muttered that single word. Did the Freeshooter have a past with royalty? Xemnas may know. Xemnas was the only one to have started and finished the Remembrance State. Xemnas had told the six of them had been apprentices to a man named Ansem. And that was all he had said. Vexen wasn't going to go to Xemnas unless it was a serious emergency.

_"Hey Aeleus? Could you watch Bianca, I got stationed in the labs today and I wasn't able to find a babysitter for is too much stuff she could get into down there." Braig asked Aeleus, who sat in his office._

_ "Of course." Aeleus said, standing. Braig handed Bianca over to Aeleus and went back down to the labs._

_ "I don't see why you took her in in the first place." Even grumbled. Braig closed his eyes and gave an impatient sigh. _

_ "The kid needed someone who actually cares about her." Braig explained. Even rolled his eyes and then went to look in a microscope. _

_ "And you qualify for that?" The scientist replied icily. Braig felt like shooting him._

_ "Yes as her father I can care about her. I'm better than that stingy old man that was taking care of her before me." Braig spat._

_ "You mean Lexia's father, Bianca's grandfather." Even replied, pulling away from the microscope to write down some notes, Braig faltered at the mention of Bianca's dead mother._

_ "Yes I mean that old coot! He didn't care about Bianca at all! He couldn't get rid of her faster! He always hated me and because Bianca is my daughter he hated her. Get it!" Braig barked. Even gave him a cold calm look. Braig growled angrily and threw his hands up in the air._

_ "What's your problem with her? Bianca is an amazingly sweet kid. You act like she's a disease." Braig asked him._

_ "She's a distraction." Even said coldly. Braig glared hotly at him._

_ "She's five, give her a few more years and she won't be 'a distraction.' Hell she could probably even help you. I think you just don't like kids." Braig told him._

_ "I don't, and you didn't either." Even said. Braig groaned. _

_ "So! That's because I thought they were needy little burdens! Since I've met Bianca, I've realized they only get that way if you let them get that way. Bianca isn't like that. She's-Ugh, whatever, think what you want." Braig said, sitting down heavily in a seat, crossing his arms over his chest and looking to the side._

_ "You're acting like a child yourself." Even told Braig, looking back into the microscope. Braig hissed angrily._

_ "Don't make me shoot you, because I will." Braig spat._

_ "You'll get into trouble with Ansem again." Even replied nonchalantly._

_ "It will be worth it!" _

_ "What are you two arguing about?" They both heard Dilan say, the two looked up to him. _

_ "Even is saying that Bianca is a distraction. I'm trying to prove otherwise." Braig said. Dilan shook his head. _

_ "She is somewhat of a distraction, Braig; you haven't been able to work as much as you usually do." Dilan said, sitting down at the table across from Even._

_ "She is not a distraction; she's a responsibility, something I suppose you two aren't familiar with…" Braig replied._

_ "We have responsibilities. Radiant Garden." Even told him. Braig scowled._

_ "I meant responsibilities that were a bit more personal than Radiant Garden." Braig replied._

_ "You mean having a child. Remember, Bianca was a result of you being irresponsible." Dilan told Braig. The Freeshooter glared at them._

_ "The girl is a damn blessing and I'm glad to have her. If you two are going to act like complete assholes then take it somewhere else. Ansem thinks that me having a daughter is good. It gives me something else more to protect. My own flesh and blood." Braig told them, losing his temper some._

_ "The only reason Ansem is happy that you have a daughter is because he's no longer the only father of a motherless child, he has Rodul, remember?" Even said._

_ "Oh, forgot about that little squirt. How old is he, eight, nine?" Braig asked, rubbing the back of his neck._

_ "Nine." Dilan said. Braig nodded. _

_ "Right." He said._

Xemnas watched his second command, cursing mentally. If he remembered that pest of a daughter, his plans might be at risk. Braig loved Bianca like nothing else. That would definitely be passed on to his Nobody, whether they could truly feel or not. Xemnas gave a sigh. Would Xigbar leave, or would he stay to regain his heart? Xemnas could feed Xigbar a lie. Just like he had done before, it would work as it had before.

Xemnas went on to the labs and stopped behind Vexen, who was consumed by an experiment. He waited for a moment.

"Number IV." Xemnas said, the scientist gave a startled cry and jumped, hitting his head on the shelf which he was crouched under, looking into a microscope. The Nobody pulled back, grasping the back of his head.

"Yes, Superior?" He asked, wincing.

"If Xigbar tries to leave when he wakes, send a Dusk to me and try to keep him in the infirmary as long as possible. He'll more than likely want to leave once he wakes." Xemnas told him, turning to leave.

"May I ask why he would want to leave, Superior?" Vexen asked. Xemnas stopped, looking over his shoulder at the Academic.

"He has some loose ends he'll want to tie up in what is left of Radiant Garden." Xemnas said coldly and left the labs. Vexen watched him with a suspicious look. He pulled his hand from the back of his head and saw blood. Vexen went to the sink and washed the blood away.

When he was finished he went back to the table and sat down on the stool, looking at Xigbar from the labs. He looked agitated.

"How can you feel agitation when you're a Nobody? And what would be so great that you would leave the Organization to go find it?" Vexen wondered out loud.

_Two Weeks Later_

"Bianca!" Xigbar cried, sitting up unexpectedly, Vexen was standing at his side, having been checking his vitals.

"Who is Bianca?" Vexen asked Xigbar, turning to look at the Freeshooter full on. Xigbar looked at him.

"My daughter, God, I let her down!" Xigbar said, burying his face in his hands.

"I have to go check, just to see if she made it!" Xigbar said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Vexen grabbed his shoulder, behind Xigbar; Vexen sent a dusk to Xemnas.

"I need to check and see if you are fit to move around, Xigbar." Vexen said. Xigbar turned and glared at him.

"Dude, this is my kid. I have to see if she's safe. What is it that you don't get, even after you had to take care of Ienzo?" Xigbar yelled. Vexen stepped back.

"What are you talking about?" Vexen replied calmly.

"I'm talking about-oh, you don't remember yet." Xigbar said, the whoosh of a dark corridor opening and closing went off and Xemnas walked up beside them.

"Vexen." Xemnas said simply. The Chilly Academic didn't need to be told twice to get lost. He retreated to the lab and watched from there, though not hearing, he was quite a good lip reader.

Xemnas' back was facing him, Vexen could tell by the look on Xigbar's face he didn't like what Xemnas was saying. Before Vexen could even react, Xigbar had reeled back and punched Xemnas in the face. The force was so great it sent the Superior to the ground. Vexen ran out of the lab and pulled Xigbar away from Xemnas. Knowing Xigbar too well to think the Freeshooter would have stopped there.

"Bianca is NOT weak. You ever say that again SO HELP ME GOD!" Xigbar yelled. Xemnas was rubbing his cheek. The corner of his lip was busted, blood trickled down his chin.

"It's more than likely, Xigbar, just face the facts." Xemnas said, standing and brushing himself off. Xigbar tried to lunge again, clearly forgetting in his blind rage that he could teleport. Vexen was just barely able to hold him back though.

"Shut up!" Xigbar spat, Xemnas gave him a calm look, he wiped his blood on the back of his glove and left the infirmary coldly. Xigbar glared daggers at him the entire time. He swore he was going to kick Xemnas' ass one day. Why hadn't he just listened to her?


	12. Chapter 12

**I never stopped writing for this story. I just went from different parallels and such. This chapter is from a battle with the Xehanorts where Bianca had married Luxord's Somebody, (Rodul; Ansem the Wise's son, you can't tell me they don't look alike) its just a different parallel from the initial storyline that follows closer to Kingdom Hearts 3D than The New Number 13. I have a whole bunch of works that follow this storyline instead of the other so if you want more of it please do tell me and if you don't understand something feel free to ask. **

* * *

><p>It was an unnatural feeling. Dying was a quiet process. You don't hear much. Your heartbeat, as its slowing. Your breathing as it grows shallow. It's like the soul wants to remember the things that you ignored your whole life. You notice your nose a little. Things can be a little blurry. I barely registered falling to the ground. I closed my eyes, ignoring the pain in my stomach. I felt something warm and sticky start to soak the back of my shirt and wet my hair. It was my blood. I heard what was going on but it was like I was underwater. The voices were muffled. You didn't really hear anyone moving.<p>

"_Bianca?! Don't be dead! I need you alive!" _

_Rodul? _I thought, opening my eyes. I looked. It was him. He was him again.

"_That's right! Focus. Focus on my face and find your will." _Rodul told me, starting to search his pockets.

"_What about that boy you adopted, what was his name? What did you name him?" _Rodul said. It was Roxas. Isaac and I stole him from the Organization.

"_**I don't remember my mom. But I think she would be a lot like you."**_ I heard him. He told me that before we changed him. My vision teetered. I smiled softly. Rodul was free.

"_Don't you dare! I know that look, don't you do it! Bianca!" _Rodul shouted, the blurriness started to become thicker. But over Rodul's shoulder I noticed two people approaching. One with dark hair and one with blue. Isa was free. One of them pulled Rodul away and replaced him. My heart leapt at the familiar face of my father.

"_Hey there, Princess." _He said softly. His hand found mine. "_Am I going to lose you, too?" _He asked quietly. I swallowed.

"_You fought so hard, didn't you? You went to war with an enemy so big his shadow darkened the sun. But you were like the moon. Inconspicuous. Coming when the Sun was gone and illuminating the world. Those Keybladers, they tried. They all tried. But you, you dominated. All those people, they don't get it. They don't get that it's not Keybladers they should look to, it's a Freeshooter with a mission. If you let go, that's fine. You achieved your goal. You swore you would free me and you did. But you know the thing about going to war? What's the point of winning if you can't reap the spoils?" _Dad told me.

"_So just hold on for a little bit longer, okay? You saved us, let us save you for once." _I didn't know what to do.

_If you keep being melodramatic about it you aren't going to get the chance whether I want to live or not._ I thought bitterly. I heard Dad laugh and realized I said that aloud. It was so easy though. Everything else felt like it took so much effort. I closed my eyes.

The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor gently broke the silence. I sighed. I was alive. Nauseated but alive. I smiled and laughed quietly. Those stupid men. Wouldn't even let me die. It was an eerily peaceful thing. I always imagined panic when dying. I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.

"Thankfully you have your father's blood type and that Rodul is O+" I heard the relieved and usually bitter voice of Even at the foot of my bed. I turned my attention to him. He was checking the chart.

"If you had lost anymore blood than what you did you would have died for sure." He told me. I heaved a sigh.

"Thanks." I told him tiredly. "What happened?" I asked.

"Stabbed from behind, in between the lungs but below the heart. Mere centimeters actually. You're going to have to get your nourishment from IV until your esophagus completely heals. That should take a month or two." Even told me. I didn't care.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"They're dealing with several unhappy Keybladers at the moment. Congratulations Bianca, you prevented the Keyblade War." Even said, writing something down on a clipboard and putting the pen in his pocket and the clipboard into the slot on the foot of the bed.

"What do you mean by 'unhappy?' They aren't fighting are they?" I asked. Even shook his head.

"Debating more like. The mouse wanted to talk to you but since you were unconscious Rodul took the responsibility." Even said.

"I want to talk to the mouse." I said. Even nodded. He went to the intercom by the entrance to the infirmary.

"Ienzo, if you'll be so kind as to send the King Mouse to the infirmary, Bianca is awake and wishes to do business when she should be resting." Even said pointedly. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Careful of the stitching, can't risk you losing anymore blood for at least a week." Even instructed me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"He won't come unless Sora and Riku come with him." Ienzo said. Even looked at me for instruction.

"Not a problem." I told him.

"They can come too." Even replied. There was a few minutes of quiet and then the three Keybladers came in. I raised my eyebrow at them.

"Try not to anger her. She's lost an extensive amount of blood and an increased heart rate due to irritation can cause repercussions." Even warned and went into his lab.

"You destroyed thirteen Followers of Dark! Do you know what you could've done?" The Mouse said irritably.

"Do you know what _you_ could've done?! Wasn't this whole mess just an effort to keep the Keyblade War from happening? If you had raised your seven Guardians of Light you would've given that stupid keyslinger exactly what he wanted! I stopped you from making the biggest mistake of your life, Steamboat!" I spat. The mouse glared at me, trying to look authoritative but come on he was a stupid mouse. One of his prefects stepped in.

"You weren't even a Guardian, what gave you the right?" The silver haired one asked. I gave them an 'Are you kidding me?' look.

"That old coot pulled my life out from underneath my feet. He took my father, my husband, and my cousin. Friendship? Forget it, this was about family! Friends come and go, but family is forever and that's what gave me the right to destroy his empire of darkness. And as for you mouse, this would've just boosted your ego." I spat.

"It wasn't your job." The mouse replied.

"Oh what, you expected me to stand on the sidelines while you Keybladers killed my family because you don't know how to properly release hearts? My job is to protect my family and I did it. The whole preventing the Keyblade War thing was just a bonus." I told them.

"And if you're going to ridicule me for trying to save my family, one of which happened to be the son of a good friend of yours, Mouse, then get out of my palace." I told them coldly. The Mouse scowled and turned to leave, the silver haired boy too. Sora stayed. He looked at me.

"I just wanted to tell you thanks. You proved that you don't have to be a Keyblader, or a princess of light, or a Guardian either, to be special. You nearly lost your life saving the ones you love. I would have done the same too. I'm just glad I can say that my family wasn't affected the way yours was. They'll see things your way with time." Sora said. I nodded.

"Thank you. You're welcome here anytime you like." I told him. He nodded, then ran after the other two. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Now the people you like can come see you!" I heard Dad. My heart leapt into my throat as he walked into the infirmary, he had the fanciest bouquet of flowers in his arms. I smiled. Tears pricked my eyes as he came closer. He put the vase down on my bedside table. I reached out for him and his hand found mine, he but a kiss to my head.

"I'm sorry, Bianca, I should've listened to you straight from the start but I've always been a massive idiot." He told me. I grinned.

"You're forgiven." I replied. He ruffled my hair like he used to.

"I always knew you were going to achieve something big. But I didn't even imagine you stopping the Keyblade War." He told me, sitting down on the bed next to me.

"I know. I didn't either." I replied. He looked at me.

"We'll move you into a private room soon. Then you'll have room for all the stuff that is for you. Rodul's got two dozen roses on the way cuz he's a dork. There's a bunch of gifts from your subjects. Rodul isn't even thinking about taking the crown from you?" Dad told me.

"Even if he was he wouldn't be successful. The people love me. I brought them out of Dark Times and you better believe I'm going to rule." I answered. Dad laughed. It all felt surreal. Everything was back to the way it should be. My struggle was over. I had won. I get to enjoy the spoils of war.


End file.
